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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24154174">the art ( of taming a small gremlin )</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLastCookie/pseuds/TheLastCookie'>TheLastCookie</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angry Lance (Voltron), BAMF Lance (Voltron), Family Dynamics, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge is a little shit, Shiro (Voltron) Needs a Break, background alteans, sprinkle of shklance because i have no self control, this MIGHT become a series?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 06:35:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24154174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLastCookie/pseuds/TheLastCookie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>excerpt: </p>
<p>“So do you not like Lance or something?”</p>
<p>Keith says it first when they eat dinner that night, eyes locked onto Pidge who continues eating as if the question doesn’t phase them. As if they’d been asked that same question thousands of times.</p>
<p>“It’s not that I don’t like him or anything. He just gets on my nerves.”</p>
<p>Lance just wants to tell Keith it’s fine, but Shiro is quicker. “And why is that, Katie?”</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Or rather, three times Pidge unknowingly tests the strength of Lance and their friendship, and the one time Lance has just about enough of their bullshit.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hunk &amp; Lance &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk &amp; Lance (Voltron), Lance &amp; Pidge | Katie Holt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>414</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the art ( of taming a small gremlin )</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>me, at three am: you know how Voltron tried to create this overall theme of 'the power of friendship transcends all' even though half of the characters didn't treat each other with any ounce of fucking respect?</p>
<p>me, also at three am: yea, i know what you mean</p>
<p>me, still at three am: you wanna complain about it?</p>
<p>me:.....maybe</p>
<p>also me: are you going to add a sibling relationship between lance and pidge, wholesome hunk, bitchy allura with a dash of shklance?</p>
<p>me: well, we're the same fucking person so you tell me</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>( 1 )</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To get straight to the point, Pidge hadn’t eaten in about thirty-six hours. They hadn’t slept properly in about fifty-two, either.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To get even more to the point, Lance was daydreaming of wrapping his perfectly manicured fingers around their neck if it meant that they’d be knocked out for more than two hour increments.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So yeah, maybe their hopeless devotion to finding their father and brother was more than admirable, but their lack of self care was not only taking a toll on them, but everyone in the castle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance heard it almost as much as he dished it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, Pidge, I set out some goo for you if you’d just-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge, you’re useless when you’re tired. Sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Katie, you’re old enough to know that this is neither responsible or healthy. Please take a break to-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge, all paladins must be in pristine condition if they are to turn the tide in this war-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Number five, perhaps it’s time for you to rest those fun sight see-ers by taking a long and relaxing rest in-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All of them earned a nice “Fuck off [insert name here] and go away!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I look like I have the time to eat right now?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Go and sharpen your fucking knives or something!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Do you really not care about what happens to my family?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Are you that selfish to only care about us being paladins, Princess? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I don’t have to quiznacking sleep, Coran. And say my name!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The responses varied with intensity depending on the who, what, when, where, and why. It isn’t like Lance hasn’t tried as much as the other paladins, but for some reason, Pidge got especially creative with the insults when it came to him. It’s not like it hurts him - </span>
  <em>
    <span>a fucking lie</span>
  </em>
  <span> - he knows that they’re just stressed - </span>
  <em>
    <span>doesn’t mean they have to be so fucking rude</span>
  </em>
  <span> - and Lance needs to do all he can to comfort a friend in need.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But as said before, if Lance could wrap his perfectly piano-esque fingers around Pidge’s tiny, stupidly vocal throat, part of it would be to have them sleep for more than two hours.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And maybe, just maybe, the smallest, tiniest, insy-pinsy-tinee-winee part of Lance’s brain suggests darkly that yeah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>choking that pint-sized gremlin out would feel pretty good.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But then again, everyone knows how the saying goes; a new day, a lesser chance of punting an infant sized brainiac out of a ten-thousand-year-old alien space castle.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s on his way to the infamous hanger of the green lion, where Pidge has </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span> been for fifty-three hours, in hopes that maybe they’d calmed down by now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was heavily unlikely, but what could a guy do but hope? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Pidgelet, sorry to interrupt your hard work,” he plasters a million dollar (fake ass) smile on while he raises his hands in a show of peace, “I’ve been seeing you use that big brain of yours for more than three days and just think it’d be splendid for those pores of yours to be cleared out, and for your to-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s rambling and he knows it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance,” and they say his name slow, sounding almost dangerous, “we all know that you aren’t that fucking smart, but I know you’re not as dense as Keith, so I know that you </span>
  <em>
    <span>at least,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” and the way they say it hurts more than the words themselves, “can read some social cues. If not, then you truly are </span>
  <em>
    <span>good for nothing.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They aren’t done-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shiro, and Hunk, and Coran, and whoever the fuck else can come in here and tell me that I’m not sleeping or not eating or whatever but you can’t tell me shit! All you do is sit around doing nothing that could possibly help anyone so- Please. Just. Leave!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t bother to give that a reply. In fact, he’s going to step out of this room - this situation - as fast as possible, and maybe bury his face in Shiro’s Grade-A titties while he tends to his emotional wounds because he damn well deserves it. Maybe get his ass beat by the gladiator just so Keith can send one of his proud smiles because he damn well deserves it. Maybe get the both of them to abandon their duties to all try and successfully get Pidge to at least bathe themselves because - you guessed it - he damn well deserves it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you listening?” his time to Lancey-land seemed to only make them more upset. “Get the fuck out!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He raises his hands once more, leaving swiftly out of the hanger. Hunk leans against the wall in anticipation, asking, “Any luck?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance griminces, “Not yet...maybe you should try. They’re the nicest to you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk considers it, weighing the pros and cons. On one hand, Pidge needs to eat, sleep, bathe - really the full nine yards. However, Pidge is...Pidge. Horribly insensitive and easily ticked-off. But then again, Hunk is the epitome of not only a good friend, but an angel as well. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He nods.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wish me luck,” is all Hunk says in response, shooting an uneasy smile at Lance. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not more than five minutes later, they’ve had a heart to heart, and Pidge is in tears over how badly they’ve let the stress of, well, the universe get to them. Hunk rubs gentles circles in their shoulders in only a way that Hunk could. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge sucks a gross amount of snot back up their nose. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk kindly ignores the sound.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance tries his best not to be hurt over the blatant difference in the way Pidge treats the two of them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(Safe to say he’s a bit upset about the blatant difference in the way Pidge treats the two of them.)</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(Correction, safe to say he’s very upset about the blatant difference in the way Pidge treats the two of them...but Lance is Lance. He’s expected to take it and smile. So he does.)</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <b>_____</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>( 2 )</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So, as a nice afterthought of Pidge’s wonderful fifty-three hour streak of being a general menace, all of Voltron learned that they had one and only one weakness - Hunk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t really a surprise in itself; everyone was weak to Hunk. He was kind, and thoughtful, and seemed to always know how to get someone to do what they have to, even if it takes some time. Lance could never be mad at his best friend for being who he is.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But he can sure as hell be mad at the others for pinning all of their Pidge-related problems onto him because of the recent development.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Look, Lance is no stranger to the occasional cheat. Jenny Shayborn was more than helpful when it came to not only being nice on the eyes, but helpful for passing classes at the Garrison. A quick shift, an overdramatic stretch, an almost unnoticeable slit of his eyes and </span>
  <em>
    <span>bam</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He suddenly doesn’t have to worry about angering Iverson any more than he already does.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>However, it's clear that the other paladins and Alteans have nowhere near as much cheating etiquette as Lance does. If Lance’s technique could be compared to a quick look at someone elses paper, the others would be the ones to fucking stand up, walk over to the smartest student in the class, take their paper right out of their hands and turn it in with their name on it - all while the teacher watches.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, a bit of clarification.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just because someone is angry, upset, ticked-off, whatever, it doesn’t make them </span>
  <em>
    <span>blind</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Pidge can obviously see that the others - excluding Hunk and Lance - avoid them when they get unreasonable. If anything, it serves to make them even more angry and unreasonable.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So much so that Hunk, you know, trusty, loveable Hunk, damn near punched Shiro when he suggested to send Hunk back into Green’s hanger after Pidge threw another fit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So much so that Hunk said some creative words to Allura and Coran when they had the audacity to ask why he was pissed off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So much so that Hunk had started avoiding the others so that they’d had to deal with Pidge themselves.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(...so much that the last time they’d tried to form Voltron, they couldn’t.)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(...oh shit.)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Regardless of the high tensions floating around the castle as of late, Hunk would never slack off when it came to his Paladin duties. He was up right when the castle alarm went off, brushed his teeth, and threw on a robe on top of his under armour. Technically, all of the paladins have about an hour and a half until training at that time, and Hunk usually spends it productively - wrangling Lance out of his soft, comfy, and warm bed into the shitty cold air to force him to help Hunk make breakfast.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance isn’t salty in the slightest. No, no way. Of course not. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> Either way, halfway through breakfast, Hunk usually leaves to softly and gently (not salty in the slightest) get Pidge up for breakfast. The others usually filter in right on time, but they’ve learned from experience that Pidge can sleep through anything - when they get any sleep at all, that is. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As the clock strikes the time Hunk would usually leave, he freezes. Lance looks over in slight concern, opening his mouth to say that he’ll do it instead, but Hunk waves the comment off. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure they can manage for a day,” is all he says in response, but looks over to the counter Lance is currently being </span>
  <em>
    <span>very helpful</span>
  </em>
  <span> on. Lance squints at Hunk after that, but Hunk sighs roughly and says, “Can you hand me that oven mitt?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, the conversation is over.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Pidge doesn’t show up for doesn’t show up for breakfast. Doesn’t show up for training, either. Allura makes some under-her-breath-comment about how ‘</span><em><span>the paladins should be</span></em> <em><span>looking after each other with all of their intensity,</span></em><span>’ or ‘</span><em><span>it’s pivotal the bond between the paladins hold strong or else-</span></em><span>’</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She doesn’t get the chance to finish. Hunk is glaring hard enough for the both of them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anyway, training goes rather smoothly. There’s only one time having four out of the five paladins backfires on them, but they compensate for the lack of one. Or they try. Either way, it could be better, it could be worse, so Lance goes with the middleground and just says it goes smoothly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As they leave the training room, Lance is throwing an affectionate arm over Keith, while Shiro is keeping a firm but gentle grip on Lance’s shoulder. Allura disappeared with little more than a ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>adamant work today, paladins,</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ while Coran and Hunk talk animatedly in front of the trio. In the midst of hearing something about Coran’s favorite animal (which is a Wartzelpuff, whatever that might be) a small cough erupts, giving everyone the chance to look up and see a half-armoured and disheveled Pidge. They sit almost defeatedly in front of a small plate of food goo, doing nothing more than picking at it while zoning out into their own little world.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance tries not to feel bad for them, considering how rude they’ve been to everyone recently.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But then again, in Pidge’s point of view, they know they’ve been unreasonable. They know that the only two that are willing to deal with them are Hunk and Lance. They know that everyone else doesn’t want to deal with them until they get out of this ‘slump.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They’re scared of losing their friends, but they don’t know how to manage their stress.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance doesn’t know what kind of friend he’d be if he left them there to suffer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Pidge.” he says slowly, plastering on what he can only assume is a welcoming smile on his face, “you missed training today. But I’m sure that we can get some good work in during training later-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, Lance.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s short, it’s simple, it's effective. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro is already muttering something about giving them space, but Keith has already taken a step forward, hissing, “Don’t talk to him like that!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Or what, Keith? You’ll hit me?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They’re tired, Lance can tell by the craters under their eyes. They look defeated; probably hit another dead end trying to find their family. They don’t actually look like they want to argue right now…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They look like they want to cry.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One look at Hunk and it seems he’s come up with the same conclusion. If Shiro wasn’t trying too hard to be Keith’s impulse control, maybe he’d realize too.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge,” he tries again, slowly, “You need-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” and yeah, maybe he could have worded that better, “is for everyone to hop off my dick. I’m tired of everyone telling me what I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Katie, you need to calm down-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Again with saying what I need!” they’re standing up now, the force of the action knocking over their plate of goo and nearly toppling the chair behind them. It wobbles offensively as they continue, saying, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>to find my family! My father! My brother! The same people </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Shiro winces, “let get taken away!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge, really, Shiro doesn’t deserve that-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance doesn’t get more than a couple words out before they’re chucking the same plate of goo at him. If it wasn’t for his reflexes, it would’ve hit him square in the face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The shatter of the plate, surprisingly, isn’t what quiets the room. It’s when Hunk </span>
  <em>
    <span>screams</span>
  </em>
  <span>, “Shut up!” does the room do just that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s like the silence of the room suddenly snaps Pidge back into reality, because the tears that they hadn’t shead before are now cascading down their face in watery clumps. They barely mutter out a universal ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ before they’re scampering out of the room with their tail between their legs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Coran stares at the plate with wide eyes, silent.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Keith takes Lance’s chin into his hands to inspect for any injuries.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro pinches his nose with two metallic fingers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk’s heavy breathing is the only sound in the room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Later, when Lance has departed from the tension to soak in a well deserved shower, he tries to choke it back, but he can’t.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He cries.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least the water mixes in with his tears.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He can hear the muffled sobs of Pidge behind the closed door of Hunk’s room. Hunk says something that Lance can’t figure out, but Pidge laughs weakly at the statement. He gets a bit closer to the door.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Hunk. I’m so mean to all of you but you still,” he assumes they motion indiscernibly to what he also assumes is Hunk being supportive in his own ways. He smiles lightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, dude, but I’m not the one you threw a plate at. Or blamed your families' disappearance on.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance smiles even wider; Hunk has always been so good yet direct with his words.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge sucks their snot - gross - and sighs. “I know. I’ll have to apologize to the both of them later.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t wait too long,” Hunk adds on, tone already sounding lighter. Lance can only imagine he’s smiling.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance?” He whips around, only to come face-to-chest with Shiro himself. “What’re you doing?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing, nothing. Getting ready for bed. I was gonna stop in and tell Hunk goodnight but it seems he has,” Lance pauses, “a visitor.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro nods in understanding. “Well, I’m sure the two of you can catch up tomorrow. Now come on, let me walk you to your room.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It's, like, two steps away,” Lance deadpans. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro smirks, something that isn’t frequent in appearance but manages to make Lance’s heart flutter each time. “I don’t mind,” Shiro adds on, smoothly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’s about to say more, but Hunk’s door opens softly behind the two. Pidge rubs the remaining teartracks from their cheeks and looks at the two of them intensely. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They take a second to reboot.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, Shiro, can I talk to you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro slips on his leader smile - or dad smile, as the Garrison trio dubs it - and nods while he walks towards them in about two steps. He turns, saying, “Goodnight, Lance,” before turning to face Pidge.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They slip down the hallway quietly, and Lance assumes that Pidge was taking the two of them to the lounge to apologize. If that’s the case, they’re probably going to want to apologize to him, too. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He takes the two steps to his room, before grabbing a book and sitting gently on the bed. His face routine can wait until after he and Pidge talk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He crosses his legs to get comfortable on the bed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>An hour passes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He flips through some more pages in his book - it’s getting interesting!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Two hours pass.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His favorite character just fucking died.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Three hours pass.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance stands up from the spot he’d been occupying, closing his book and setting it on his nightstand. He undresses to his boxers, going to the bathroom to cleanse his face of the day's events. Walking back into the room, he flicks off the lights, letting the darkness take over.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was so sure they were going to come.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wished they came.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next day, Hunk wrangles him out of his bed, and halfway through breakfast, he disappears to grab an unruly Pidge. They look way better than they did before, and chat aimlessly with Hunk and Lance about everything they can think of. When Lance makes a joke, they roll their eyes playfully.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everything is back to normal, apology or not.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>(He doesn’t know why he thought they’d apologize.)</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>_____</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>( 3 )</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As Hunk has figured out by now, Lance doesn’t really know how to balance a friendship. If it hadn’t been for the immense history between the two growing up, he doubts they’d be friends.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, that’s harsh. Hunk would be friends with everyone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Okay, maybe just not as </span>
  <em>
    <span>close </span>
  </em>
  <span>as friends.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Basically, Lance is intense. He talks too much, he moves too much, he all around is just a brown-skinned, five foot ten, energetic ball of </span>
  <em>
    <span>too much</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But Hunk would never change that about him. It took him a long time to get to the point where he is, so if Lance can ramble about the same subject for over an hour without taking a breath, Hunk is willing to listen and add on at any time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pidge hasn’t gotten to that point.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s kind of a common theme that out of all of the Paladins, Lance constantly picks the short straw. Takashi motherfucking Shirogane can pilot circles around him. Keith could probably punt him like a soccer ball. Both Alteans are both well versed in the world of alien politics, and both Pidge and Hunk are literal geniuses. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s quite easy for Lance to sometimes feel like the dumb one.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And in Pidge’s brain, since they first set their sights on the brown-skinned, five foot ten, energetic ball of </span>
  <em>
    <span>too much</span>
  </em>
  <span>, they’ve dubbed him as just that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up Lance. You don’t know anything about this, so asking questions won’t do anything but distract me.” Pidge hisses out, eyes on the flying green lines of code that encapsulated the front screen of their computer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance sighs, eyeing Hunk in the corner who looks to be in the middle of a mental debate; whether to tell Pidge off or leave it be.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk takes a long breath, but after a moment, lets it out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He stays silent.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck! Some assistance would be great!” Lance is gritting out. Another fighter slips past Black and Yellow’s baricade, ramming harshly into Blue’s side. She rumbles in protest, and Lance can’t even murmur out an apology before it happens again. He grunts harshly from the impact.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you hold on for a little longer, Lance? We’ll be out as soon as possible,” Keith says, voice shaky in the coms. He’s probably running, because his response is quick and short.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The coms crack back on, and Pidge’s voice fills them, saying, “I’m at seventy-two percent. It should be about five more minutes, max!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro is saying, “Katie, I’m not sure if we have five more minutes-” just as Lance cuts in with, “You said that five minutes ago!”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To be honest, they’re cutting it close. The fighter jets are a nuisance at most, but they’re coupled with five, no, six ion cannons targeting the Black and Blue lions specifically. Black and Yellow were much larger in size and housed more armour, hence the barricade. As for why they’d wanted his lion specifically, he doesn’t know. He decides to ask.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” he starts, and he can already hear an annoyed grumble from Pidge, “why do you think they want my lion?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before Shiro can even breathe, Pidge cuts in, curtly, “Well first off, I’m at ninety-four percent. And second, it probably has nothing to do with you, Lance. They want the Black lion because it’s Zarkon’s old lion, and they probably want yours because they realized you're less of a threat. You’re a better pilot than Hunk and I combined but you still leave yourself more open for easily avoidable attacks. No offense, though.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Katie-</span>
  </em>
  <span>” but they ignore Shiro, as the sound of them mumbling a quiet, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>yes!</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ can be heard in the back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Also, the system just had some kind of a power boost so Keith and I will be out soon.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance stays quiet during the entire exchange, turning off his coms to focus completely on the incoming fighter jet. He curves it, but another impact arises from the other side of Blue. She cries out again, low and long.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“See?” and Green is flying out of the crater she made with Red following closely. “Easily avoidable attack.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Drop the sarcasm, Pidge,” Keith warns. “Lance, you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Lance grunts out. He’d banged his head roughly against the console after that last ram, but he can’t see or feel any blood so he guesses that he’s okay. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, Hunk’s voice breaks through the sea. “Even with Voltron, I don’t think we’re gonna get through this, guys.” Lance can feel the mutual agreement through the lions. “I’ll com Allura-” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t get the chance to answer before another fighter barrels into Yellow’s side. Hunk didn’t make any kind of distressed noise besides a gasp, so he doesn’t assume he’s too injured. Despite that, he feels himself gearing up to yell ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Hunk!’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>but Pidge beats him to the chase.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hunk! Are you alright?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk lets out a sound of affirmation, so Lance follows with a joke, “Damn Pidgelet, you don’t give me that kind of love-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up Lance! Is this not serious to you? He could have been seriously hurt and you’re fucking making it about yourself again.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Katie-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Shiro, I’m so tired of how long it takes Lance to realize that some shit doesn’t concern him. If he wasn’t so fucking annoying all the time-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Allura,” Hunk cuts in, “can we get a wormhole back to the castle?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Allura’s face pops up on everyone’s screen, beautiful and majestic as always. Despite Lance’s usual urge to make a joke to cool the obvious tension throughout the lions, he stays quiet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>As you wish, Hunk. Though eliminating these battleships would prove to be the wiser choice so we don’t face them in the future. Is that not what Voltron is meant to do?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro huffs, looking out of his front window at the Green lion. “Not today, Allura.” She nods, though hesitant, and within a couple of seconds, a wormhole appears.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So do you not like Lance or something?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Keith says it first when they eat dinner that night, eyes locked onto Pidge who continues eating as if the question doesn’t phase them. As if they’d been asked that same question thousands of times.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that I don’t like him or anything. He just gets on my nerves.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance just wants to tell Keith it’s fine, but Shiro is quicker. “And why is that, Katie?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” and they rest their utensils on either side of their plate to lean back into their chair. “He talks too much. Like, at the Garrison, I had to hear him talk about how Star Trek is better than Star Wars for over two hours. Hunk can just smile and laugh about it but Hunk wasn’t there and it seriously ticked me off so I told him to shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro is wincing, while Keith looks almost regretful.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“After that he would fidget</span>
  <em>
    <span> all</span>
  </em>
  <span> the time. Like every time it was just Lance and me, he would start bouncing his leg, or humming, or cracking his knuckles. I couldn’t work with all of that noise around me so I usually tell him to get out but he never leaves. Not to mention he’s always bothering me once I really start getting into whatever I’m doing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk’s grip is tightening on his utensils while Lance’s grip is loosening. Allura looks like she almost agrees with Pidge while Coran’s usual smile has slipped off of his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Again, it’s not like I don’t like Lance,” and they’re talking about him like he’s the newest ice cream flavour, “but sometimes I just feel like he’s just so...</span>
  <em>
    <span>intense.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And a bit of a narcissist. And, god, overdramatic! Like he almost cried when Jenny Shayborn rejected-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge, do you honestly hear yourself?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Everyone looks up towards Hunk, who breaks their enthusiastic rant.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, yeah? Why’re you angry, Hunk?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His eyebrows bunching together is the only indication that the sentence pissed him off further. “Because you honestly don’t seem to understand that-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hunk.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance grabs his arm weakly, voice wet with emotion. He lets go immediately, but all of the eyes at the table are on him. “It’s fine,” he finishes. He looks back down at his plate, no longer hungry. “I’m going to go to bed, guys. I can do the dishes in the morning, sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro is saying something along the lines of ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t worry about the dishes</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ while Allura is huffing, but Lance is too far away to hear. Behind him, Keith and Hunk stand, but Coran ushers them back into their seats.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It won’t do him any good to hear an apology from the one who hadn’t dealt the blow, my boys.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They both eye Coran warily, but sit down regardless. Pidge overlooks the table in confusion, only to find most eyes back on them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>_____</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>( +1 )</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s a slow, un-subtle start. Inching away from conversations, ducking out of rooms, whatever Lance can do to put some space between him and Pidge, because as much as Lance parades around with the ego and flourish of a gazelle, he has some issues of his own.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He just wants other people to like him. He wants the validation of others. Just wants to feel like he </span>
  <em>
    <span>belongs</span>
  </em>
  <span> here.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If that means he has to be away from Pidge rather than close just for them to like him, that's what he’s going to do. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He can feel hazel eyes on him all during dinner, burning holes into his chest. His breath is slow and his posture is on edge, but he keeps it together the best he can. Allura is carrying on as she would regularly. She's going on and on and </span>
  <em>
    <span>on</span>
  </em>
  <span> about the next steps they should be taking as paladins, though Shiro and Hunk seem to be the only ones paying attention. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His fork scrapes against his plate accidentally, creating a harsh sound. Allura rolls her eyes and looks ready to scold him, but Shiro holds up a hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance, are you not hungry?” Shiro asks, eyes welcoming and warm. Lance knows the ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>are you okay?</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ is unsaid, but refuses to give Pidge the satisfaction of knowing he’s upset.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They probably don’t even know - probably wouldn’t care even if they did. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He lets the fork hit the plate softly, shifting to rest his head into one of his hands. Blinking, he says, “Yeah, I’m fine, Shiro. You can continue, Allura.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In her moment of hesitance, Keith speaks up, “Fine can mean a lot of things, Lance. Are you sure-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Keith, Shiro, please. I’m just tired. Allura?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She shifts awkwardly in the sudden tension that has filtered into the room. Raising a perfectly arched eyebrow, she glances at Lance, before ultimately returning to her tangent. Lance easily drowns out the noise in favor of pushing his food back and forth on his plate.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hazel eyes still catch onto his in the corner of his eye.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, Pidge?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lance.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What, Pidge?” He bites out, setting the book he’d been reading to the side of him, bookmarking his page before closing it swiftly. He angles his gaze back to Pidge, as they shrink under the newfound pressure of his look. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They chose the easy option, as if there were options to begin with. “What’re you reading?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The question doesn’t really deserve an answer, because Lance knows that's not what they’re there for. Lance knows that they know, and they know that Lance knows, but he still pities the small look they give his book in order not to make eye contact. “Just some old Altean book I found in the library.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can read Altean now?” It comes out more mocking than they’d probably tried, if the slight flinch they make is any indication. Lance doesn’t care, though. He just wants to leave as soon as possible.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Coran’s been helping me out.” His tone and reply are curt, leaning on rude.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s nice of him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge,” he starts, because the room feels as if it’s lost half of its usual warmth, “what do you want?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They scratch their arm noncomitedly. “I just wanted to talk.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then talk.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re talking right now, aren’t we?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just one look and Lance can see that they’re starting to get defensive. Everyone else's tells are obvious - Hunk starts to hunch over, Allura’s posture gets even more rigid, Keith and Shiro start to angle themselves towards the nearest exit - but Pidge’s has always been a bit more passable, in a sense. A small twitch of their lips, a finger or two curling into their palm, toes curling further into their shoes as they plant themselves harder into their stance. It's admirable, really, for such an emotion-based person to have such unnoticeable tells, but Lance can share the sentiment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No one can usually find out that he's upset unless they know what they’re looking for.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We aren’t talking, Pidge. You’re pussyfooting around a conversation that you don’t want to have, and I’m desperately waiting for you to leave so I can figure out what happens next in my book. I’m in the middle of a good part, right now.” In the back of his mind, he knows he’s being harsher with them than he usually would. Out of all the paladins, he usually saves his sibling-esque softness for Pidge and Hunk, but as of recently he’s realized that it isn’t appreciated by the former. If Pidge thinks they can handle him without his usual verbal restraints, then he’d let them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They fumble over their words for a second, before leveling him with a glare that he's received far too many times to count. “Why’re you being so mean right now?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mean, Pidge?” Honestly, the fact that they have the audacity to call him out for his temper is respectable. He laughs in a way that Pidge flinches at, leaning back lazily into the couch. He makes a show of crossing one long, tan leg over the other, refusing to break the eye contact that Pidge has finally made. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A small smirk makes an appearance on his face, just as he arches a brow.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You think I’m mean?” The question is rolled in a sugar sweet tone, but the words themselves are teasing them, mocking them. They roll further into themselves, and Lances doesn’t want to admit that he relishes in the feeling. Doesn’t want to admit that he enjoys the way they angle their body towards the door just slightly, they way they stubbornly look into the icy depths of his eyes even if water builds in the corners of their own. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well? Did you forget how to speak, Pidge? You come all this way to tell me something and now you’re crying about it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He knows he’s being extra, toying with their fragile emotions with just a few words. Knows he's watching them debate whether they leave or not, knowing that’ll further determine how Lance treats them. Knows that they can feel his judgemental gaze raking over them in disinterest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What can he say, he’s petty like that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Well, Pidge?</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I just wanted to ask...you know what? Fuck you. Whatever. You can come talk to me when you don’t feel like being a massive fucking dick,” they spit out, small frame turning towards what Lance can only call ‘their escape.’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Looks like they need another push.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t feel good, does it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They whip around to face him, confusion drawn on their face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As much as he wants to wipe away any evidence of him being a jackass - rightfully so, he needed to get his point across somehow - he knows it won’t do them any good if he goes soft on them now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This? Right here?” He stands up, making sure Pidge’s frosty eyes are following the curve of his back as he readjusts, “This is how you treat me on a </span>
  <em>
    <span>daily basis</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Do with that information what you will.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In three fluid movements, he’s picked up his book, tucked it under his arm, and stepped gracefully out of the room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He doesn’t look back to see Pidge’s final expression.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It's one of the rare moments of peace when Pidge reappears. Lance sits comfortably; top half resting on Shiro while his bottom half lays sprawled out over Keith’s lap. He gets the sensation that Keith doesn’t quite know what to do with his hands, as he kind of just </span>
  <em>
    <span>hovers </span>
  </em>
  <span>them over Lance’s calf awkwardly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance, reluctantly, finds it cute.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro, on the other hand, has one arm draped over Lance’s shoulders, lazily dragging a hand up and down in a calming motion on Lance’s arm. His other hand flicks through his tablet, where most of his attention is at. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The peace is broken when Hunk trails in with Pidge hot on his ankles. They take one look at Lance and immediately freeze, flight or fight senses kicking in. Hunk notices the sudden stop in what was once a fluent conversation, and follows their eyes to Lance too. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Since their...</span>
  <em>
    <span>conversation</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Lance didn’t have to worry about avoiding Pidge - they made themselves as scarce as possible. The only time the two crossed paths was meals and training. They didn’t have the heart to tell Hunk the reason they skipped their casual trio bonding in the morning, so they hurriedly slipped in a lie about ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>that time of the month</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ and left it at that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk, having a younger sister, left it alone immediately.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance figured it wasn’t his responsibility to tell the truth, either, so he didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Whatever.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Anyways, Lance is trying to spend his down time efficiently, so he squares up and faces Pidge, who still hasn’t looked up from the ground. “Pidge, you okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Don’t get him wrong, Lance is still plenty upset with Pidge for the shit way they’ve been treating him, but he can’t be bothered to play the role of ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>the bad guy</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ anymore. He just sits up, opens his arms, and looks at Pidge expectantly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s like something cracks when they see his arms open, face warm, expression welcoming. Shiro looks like he's going to have an aneurysm when he sees the first tears slip down their face, but Lance just beckons them harder. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Come here, Pidgey.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And oh, the floodgates are open. Shiro takes the hint quicker than Keith and scoots to give Pidge room, but Lance simply pulls them into his lap. He pets their hair as they let out broken sobs into his chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They haven’t said it yet, but he understands the meaning.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He remembers a simpler time before the Garrison, in a house they’d owned in Florida when Mamá decided off and on again whether they were going to live there or in Cuba. He remembers the heat bearing into the house as Mari, his second youngest sister, sobbed into his chest just as Pidge is now. Remembers the way she’d apologized after she collected herself, and how he’d smiled down at her softly, saying how he’d forgiven her a long time ago.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That’s how it was with Pidge. He loved them like a sibling, but he wasn’t going to let them walk over him if he wasn’t getting the same love or respect back. That wouldn’t be family - it’d be a toxic friendship.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance removes the oversized glasses from their face, folding them gently before handing them to Keith. He levels them with a look before wiping away their tears, too.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think at this point you know more than anyone else what you did wrong,” he says without force, drowning out anyone else that might’ve remained in the room. At this moment, his attention was purely on Pidge.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Lance,” they choke out, before letting more of those tears cascade down their face. “I’ve been such a s-shitty friend for months, maybe e-even years, and you always t-took it. I think I just got so used t-to taking ad-advantage of you and, and-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge,” he says, and they stop. They hiccup a few more times into his shirt, before pushing up lightly to rub the tears from their eyes. “I know.” Is all he says, and Pidge almost melts in relief.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You were really scary, Lance. The only person who treated me like that was Matt.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance stays silent, as they lean back into his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sometimes you remind me too much of him. I think that’s why I treat you like that...I get too comfortable and forget you’re not my brother.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He rakes his fingers through their hair, still silent.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise I want you around, I don’t want you to leave, please, Lance, I-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge, it’s okay,” he breathes out, pushing them back down into his shoulder. “You’re okay. I forgave you a long time ago.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They sniffle pathetically, eyes wide and wet like a kicked puppy. Lance can’t help but to hug them again, whether they truly deserve it or not to be decided by their actions going forward.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As of now, though, he wraps his arms around their small waist and hugs tightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re okay, Pidge.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>__</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are they asleep?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro peeks over his shoulder to see Pidge resting peacefully on Lance, having not moved after they apologized. “I think all of that emotion tired them out,” Lance says.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro huffs out a laugh, and Keith appears from the other side of the room, having left during the altercation because </span>
  <em>
    <span>Keith can’t handle feelings.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Keith punched him lightly when he said it out loud.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hunk smiled softly over the two of them, returning from the kitchen with a plate full of snacks and drinks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a good friend, Lance,” Hunk lets out quietly, doing his best not to wake up Pidge. They hardly twitch in response.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I try,” is all Lance says, running his fingers through Pidge’s hair one more time. They unconsciously follow the movement.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance smiles.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>_____</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>( ++1 )</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How long?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“About two days. They’ve stopped listening to Hunk, too.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance huffs out, nodding at Shiro in response. Shiro levels him with that butterfly-inducing-smirk, asking, “You want to give it a shot, Lance?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, fuck, why not.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Language.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He just laughs as he rounds the corner, coming face to face with Pidge. They have dark circles surrounding the undersides of their eyes, clothes ruffled significantly. They look up, beginning to say something along the lines of ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>get the fuck out</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ at him before taking a second to pull back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” they mumble, fingers still racing along the keys on their computer. They grunt at something angrily, cuss under their breath, and Lance decides that’s when he should step in.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you already know what we’re all coming in here to say, why do you keep resisting?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because,” they bite out, “I’m getting somewhere. For real this time.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance sighs. “Pidge, I just watched you put in the same information three times to get the same result all three times. You’re slowing down.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah?” They grit out, harshly, “Well you’re-you’re…yeah. You’re probably right.” They close their laptop and push it a few feet away, as if they’ve drawn a line in the sand for where they can’t grab it until they do what the team says. “I need sleep.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And to eat.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You do.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And, holy shit, a shower,” they say, sniffing themself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance laughs a bit at that, raising himself up only to extend a hand back down to Pidge. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on, short stuff.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They grab onto his hand, and Lance cringes at the multiple bones that pop as they stretch. They smirk at the face he makes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m coming - and I’m not short. You’re short.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pidge? I’m literally not-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“W-Whatever! Shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Lance just laughs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Shiro and Hunk shoot him a smile and a thumbs up on the way out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>_____</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>a couple things:</p>
<p>- pidge doesn't genuinely dislike lance, they're just so used to every friendship dynamic they've ever had (which is limited to matt and the paladins) being on their own terms. they like being around him, but don't know how to handle him when hunk isn't around to act as a buffer. they think his personality is extreme, and pidge hasn't decided to realize that isn't all there is to him.</p>
<p>- this was originally supposed to be focused on just pidge and lance; i was trying to expand on their sibling-like dynamic....and then i tripped and fell face first into some shklance. not complaining, tho.</p>
<p>- this whole situation would've been taken care of earlier of lance just told them 'don't fucking talk to me like that' but he really wants people to like him...poor baby.</p>
<p>- shiro is like, the only person who calls pidge katie. it's not a show of disrespect, he's just so used to it and he tried calling them pidge before when he thought he was being rude, and both of them cringed. they're cool with it, and so shiro just sticks to calling them katie.</p>
<p>- “I-I just wanted to ask...you know what? Fuck you. Whatever. You can come talk to me when you don’t feel like being a massive fucking dick." again, they're used to everything on their own terms. it's a double edged sword and they have yet to realize that, though this experience opened their eyes a bit.</p>
<p>- you know shiro carried them to their bed after they fell asleep on lance's lap. they definitely had a 'did i fucking teleport?' moment.</p>
<p>- keith is allergic to dairy and feelings and that's a fucking fact.</p>
<p>- allura nodding along to pidge as she lists all the things they don't like about lance like the thotty she is (sorry, we don't stan allura in this household. we don't appreciate pretty girls that are emotionally manipulative for the sake of themselves. when we do stan her, its rare.)</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>drop a comment! maybe a kudos? tell me what i should write next!</p>
<p>( literally anything, i'm genuinely starved for good ideas )</p></blockquote></div></div>
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